Tour by The Pussycat Dolls | |
The Pussycat Dolls concert chronology |
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The Pussycat Dolls Tour (also informally known as The Unfinished Business Tour) was the planned third concert tour by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was announced in 2019, when Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta revealed that they were reforming for new music and a brand new concert tour. Former member Melody Thornton declined to reunite and decided to continue with her career as a solo recording artist. The announcement followed the release of "React", the first new song by the group in more than a decade.
The tour was due to begin in April 2020 with 10 arena dates around the UK and Ireland, but these were postponed until the Autumn and then Spring-Summer 2021 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. It was then scheduled to begin on May 21, 2021, with ten dates across the UK and Ireland. A number of festival dates were cancelled all together including a headline slot at Brighton Pride (UK), So Pop Festival (Australia and New Zealand), Untold Festival (Romania), and Superbloom Festival (Germany), while some international dates in Japan, Brazil, and the Philippines were postponed pending further confirmation. Following further delays which were down to the pandemic, breach of contracts and logistics, the tour was ultimately cancelled in January 2022 with the fate of the Pussycat Dolls unknown pending the legal dispute between Scherzinger and Antin regarding the terms of the group's business ventures.
The Pussycat Dolls reunited in November 2019 for a performance on the finale of UK reality tv competition The X Factor: Celebrity , where alongside previous singles, they also performed a new song "React". Following the performance, it was confirmed that new music was in production alongside a UK and Ireland concert tour. [1] [2] The tour would be the group's first since 2009's Doll Domination Tour, and "React" was the first release by the group in more than a decade. [3] Former member, Melody Thornton decided not to reunite with them in order to focus on her solo career. [4]
Speaking on their decision to tour the UK, Roberts told the BBC, "L.A. was our home, but the U.K. was our second home because the British just scooped us up. So, our lives ended up here as well, some of us, so the fans have just been holding on strong with wanting this reunion and our biggest fanbase is over here." [5] In the same interview, Wyatt noted that the Pussycat Dolls had been talking about a reunion for some years, "it’s been a few years in the making, and the tour was dubbed Unfinished Business, supported by comments made by both Roberts and Wyatt. Wyatt said "I think ultimately there’s some unfinished business with The Pussycat Dolls" [5] and Roberts agreed, noting that it had "been 10 years ... we just all were ready to do it". [6] The tour was also known as the Unfinished Business Tour. [7] As part of the tour, the group was confirmed to be headlining the second day of Fabuloso Pride in the Park, Brighton's Pride celebrations on August 2, 2020. [8] [9]
The Pussycat Doll Tour's first leg was supposed to begin in April 2020, visiting nine venues around the UK and Ireland, plus an appearance at Fabuloso Pride in the Park (Brighton) in August. [9] However, by March 2020 the UK was being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to social restrictions making the tour impossible to go ahead; new dates were planned for October. [10] Following the same guidance regarding social restrictions, organisers of Pride in the Park announced the event was being delayed 2021, with the Pussycat Dolls returning to headline. [11]
The tour was then scheduled to begin in July 2020 with a number of festival and racecourse events through the UK and Ireland, [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] as well as the Untold Festival in Romania, and Superbloom Festival in Germany. [17] [18] The arena dates for the UK and Ireland would then follow in October, beginning with Newcastle on October 19 and ending in Dublin, Ireland on November 2. [10] However, on July 2, 2020, the tour was confirmed to have been pushed back into 2021, with dates now spanning May and June. [19] Other previously announced 2020 international appearances including in the Philippines, Japan, and Brazil were either postponed or cancelled all together. [20] [21] [22] A third announcement came in March 2021, several months ahead of the new scheduled dates. Ticketmaster informed customers that the tour was being rescheduled once again at the request of the organisers. No new dates were announced but there was the promise of further announcements to follow in due course. [23]
"There's some fighting going on between the creator Robin and Nicole. And so I have no idea what's going to happen but I'm trying to stay optimistic. I feel like we've built such an epic moment of this comeback performance and this comeback tour and all the fans are so excited around the world right along with us."
— Wyatt during an interview with Loose Women . [24]
In September 2021, it was reported that Scherzinger was refusing to take part in the tour and had been subsequently sued by Robin Antin, founder of the Pussycat Dolls. The media reported that Scherzinger had originally agreed to 49% of the tour's earnings but was now refusing to take part unless this rose to 75% and included overall creative control. [25] Documents filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court found that the basis of the agreement was a Memorandum of Understanding that Scherzinger had committed to 45 shows, under terms that she would receive 32.5% of earnings from the tour, with Sutta, Roberts, Wyatt and Antin also receiving 12.5% and Bachar receiving 5%, reflecting that she left before the release of the group's second album, Doll Domination (2008). The legal dispute came from Scherzinger wanting to negotiate the terms of PCD Worldwide, a new business venture that would handle future earning from the group and brand from existing terms of 49% to an increased 75%, to reflect "opportunities she would have to forego to continue to engage in "the partnership with Antin". [26]
Scherzinger's lawyer released a counter-statement to Antin's claims. Amongst the response was details of $600,000 advance from Live Nation that Antin had received to support the tour and now "won't or can't repay", as well as accusing her of "trading on Nicole's name without her consent" and public release of the group's financial arrangements for the tour. Scherzinger concluded that the lawsuit was "ludicrous and false", and that under those circumstances, the tour cannot happen. [27] In January 2022, Scherzinger officially confirmed the tour's cancellation on an Instagram stories post. The official reasons cited "evolving circumstances surrounding the pandemic". Not long after, group members Sutta and Bachar confirmed that they had only learnt about the tour's cancellation from Scherzinger's Instagram post, writing their own statement, saying: "We want to say how incredibly disappointed we are to learn of an announcement made on Instagram that The Pussycat Dolls reunion tour is canceled. As of now, there has been no official notification of that." [28] Antin also confirmed the tour's cancellation stating that "all of us have made personal & financial sacrifices" and later confirming that there were "truths to this situation" which may see the light of day one day. [28] Despite referring to the tour cancellation as "the end of a chapter", Sutta and Bachar remained optimistic about the future of the group, stating that "[it] is not the end of the Dolls story, [we have] created a sisterhood that will live on"." [28] Wyatt has expressed she has "done all [she] can", as she was the motivator for the reunion for years. She confirmed that both she and Roberts still want the tour to happen. [29]
When the tour was announced for April 2020, the group were only intending to play one date at The O2 Arena. However, due to strong demand an additional date was added for April 19, 2020. [30]
Date | City | Country | Venue | Cancellation reason(s) [lower-alpha 1] | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 9, 2020 | Pasay | Philippines | Mall of Asia Arena | COVID-19 pandemic | [20] [32] |
May 14, 2020 | Osaka | Japan | Namba Hatch | [21] | |
May 15, 2020 | Tokyo | Tokyo Garden Theatre | |||
June 13, 2020 | São Paulo | Brazil | Unimed Hall | [22] | |
June 16, 2020 | Uberlândia | Arena Sabiazinho | |||
June 18, 2020 | Ribeirão Preto | Arena Eurobike | |||
July 26, 2020 | Dundee | Scotland | Slessor Gardens | [33] [34] | |
May 21, 2021 | Cardiff | Wales | Motorpoint Arena | [19] [31] | |
May 22, 2021 | Nottingham | England | Motorpoint Arena | ||
May 23, 2021 | Birmingham | Resorts World Arena | |||
May 25, 2021 | Leeds | First Direct Arena | |||
May 26, 2021 | Manchester | AO Arena | |||
May 28, 2021 | London | The O2 Arena | |||
May 29, 2021 [lower-alpha 2] | |||||
May 30, 2021 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena | ||
June 1, 2021 | Newcastle | England | Utilita Arena Newcastle | ||
June 2, 2021 | Glasgow | Scotland | SSE Hydro |
Date | City | Country | Venue | Cancellation Reason(s) | Note(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 24, 2020 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | COVID-19 pandemic | Part of So Pop Festival | [36] [37] |
April 25, 2020 | Sydney | Qudos Bank Arena | ||||
April 28, 2020 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | Scheduling issues | [38] | ||
April 29, 2020 | Perth | HBF Stadium | COVID-19 pandemic | [36] | ||
May 1, 2020 [lower-alpha 3] | Melbourne | Melbourne Arena | ||||
May 2, 2020 | Auckland | New Zealand | Spark Arena | |||
May 3, 2020 | Christchurch | Horncastle Arena | ||||
July 4, 2020 | Llanelli | Wales | Parc y Scarlets | Scheduling issues | A suitable date could not be found for a rescheduled show | [40] [41] |
July 5, 2020 | Northampton | England | Franklin's Gardens | COVID-19 pandemic | – | [12] [31] |
July 17, 2020 | Suffolk | Newmarket Racecourse | – | [13] [31] | ||
July 18, 2020 | Merseyside | Haydock Park Racecourse | – | [14] [31] | ||
July 22, 2020 | Esher | Sandown Park Racecourse | – | [15] [31] | ||
July 24, 2020 | York | York Racecourse | – | [16] | ||
July 25, 2020 | Newcastle | Newcastle Racecourse | – | [31] [42] | ||
July 30, 2020 | Cluj-Napoca | Romania | Cluj Arena | Part of the Untold Festival | [17] [43] | |
August 1, 2020 | Lingfield | England | Lingfield Park Resort | – | [44] | |
August 2, 2020 | Brighton | Preston Park | Part of Fabuloso Pride in the Park | [11] | ||
August 21, 2020 | Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton Racecourse | – | [45] | ||
September 5, 2020 | Munich | Germany | Olympic Park | Part of the Superbloom festival | [18] [46] |
PCD is the debut studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 12, 2005, by A&M Records. In 1995, the Pussycat Dolls were created as a burlesque troupe by choreographer Robin Antin. After attracting media attention, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Jimmy Iovine assigning the project to Ron Fair. As one of the executive producers Fair produced the majority of the album and collaborated with producers like Kwamé, Polow da Don and Rich Harrison. The music style of PCD was described as pop/R&B and urban dance-pop. Lyrically the album incorporates sexual innuendo and explores the themes of feminism and romance. It features guest vocals from rappers Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and will.i.am.
Ashley Allyn Roberts is an American singer, dancer, and media personality. She is a former member of the pop group The Pussycat Dolls, who sold over 55 million records worldwide, becoming one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time. Roberts also had a brief career as a solo singer when she released the album Butterfly Effect (2014).
Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American, currently British-based singer, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is a former member of the pop girl group and dance ensemble the Pussycat Dolls and the pop duo Her Majesty & the Wolves (2010–2014). As an actress, she is known for her roles as Siyotanka in the American comedy series Poor Paul (2009–2011) and Sasha in the British musical drama series Almost Never (2019–2021).
Carmit Maile Bachar is an American dancer, choreographer and singer. She is a former member of the pop groups the Pussycat Dolls (2003–2008) and LadyStation (2011–2016). As a dancer, she has been on tour with Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin and No Doubt and in music videos for various artists, such as Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, the Black Eyed Peas, the Offspring, Aaliyah and Beyoncé.
Melody Thornton is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one of the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums PCD (2005) and Doll Domination (2008) becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups. As part of the group, she has received a Grammy Award nomination.
"Buttons" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry and group member Nicole Scherzinger, and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair. It is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring synthesizers and a Middle Eastern rhythm, with the group pleading a reluctant man to help them undress whilst adopting a submissive stance. A remix version featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg was released as the album's fourth single on April 11, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
Robin Antin is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with international hits, a Las Vegas nightclub venue and floor show, various merchandise, and a reality television series. Since then, she has gone on to create other girl groups, including G.R.L., Girlicious and Paradiso Girls.
Jessica Lynn Sutta is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and former actress. She is a former member of the pop group the Pussycat Dolls. As a solo artist, Sutta shelved her first attempt with a debut album, Sutta Pop (2012), but went on to release two studio albums Feline Resurrection (2016) and I Say Yes (2017) and reached four number ones on US Dance Club Songs, becoming the only former Pussycat Dolls' member to reach the top of an American chart.
"Wait a Minute" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features a guest appearance from Timbaland, who served as the song's sole producer and co-wrote it with Keri Hilson and Craig Longmiles. Lyrically, the song showcases the artists flirting and committing to a playful give and take, highlighting the differences between the two sexes. In the United States, A&M Records and Interscope Records released the song to contemporary hit radio on October 16, 2006, as the fifth single of the album in the US and the sixth and final in international territories. An accompanying music video was directed by Marc Webb features the Pussycat Dolls performing choreography on a subway car and city streets. It was nominated for a MuchMusic Video Award and a MOBO Award.
"I Don't Need a Man" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Kara DioGuardi, and Vanessa Brown. The song was released as the fifth single from the album on September 9, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records. Musically, it draws from 1980s music and includes elements of dance, pop, and R&B. Inspired by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" (2000), the song is a post-disco that features feminist themes and rejects objectification and co-dependency, while part of the chorus alludes to masturbation. It has been compared to works by Beyoncé and Inner City.
Nicole Scherzinger is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the R&B-pop group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With only two albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, The Pussycat Dolls became one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time.
The discography of American girl group the Pussycat Dolls consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, two video albums, 15 singles, two promotional singles, and 15 music videos. To date, the group has sold 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide.
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, "Sway", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?.
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
The Doll Domination Tour was the second and final concert tour by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was launched in support of their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). The tour was announced in October 2008 with dates in Europe and Oceania revealed in the following month, the tour contained six legs and 50 shows. It began in Aberdeen, Scotland on January 18, 2009, and concluded in Beirut, Lebanon on July 31, 2009. In-between the first two legs, the group supported the first leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears in North America. The setlist for the concerts included songs from PCD (2005) and Doll Domination as well a cover of Shirley Bassey's Big Spender. Nineteen shows were submitted to Billboard's boxscore grossing $14.3 million, with 231,711 fans attending the performances.
"Hush Hush; Hush Hush" is the remix of "Hush Hush", a song by American female group The Pussycat Dolls. The track was written by Andreas Romdhane, Josef Larossi, Ina Wroldsen, Nicole Scherzinger, Dino Fekaris, and Freddie Perren and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair and Dave Audé is included on the reissues of the group's second album Doll Domination (2008). It was released on May 12, 2009 by Interscope Records as the album's seventh overall and final single. It is also the group's final release before their disbandment in 2010 until they reformed in 2019. Originally a ballad on the album, the song was remixed for its release as a single with a more uptempo disco-influenced production and interpolation of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (1978) with lyrics alluding to a doomed relationship.
"Jai Ho! " is a song by Indian composer A. R. Rahman and American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, recorded for the re-release of the group's second studio album Doll Domination (2008) and their EP Doll Domination – The Mini Collection (2009). It was released on February 23, 2009, by Interscope Records as the fourth single from the album and is an English remake of the original Hindi song "Jai Ho" which is taken from the soundtrack to the hit film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The remake was conceived by record executives Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair who tasked the Dolls' lead singer Nicole Scherzinger with creating a pop record that did not deviate from the original melody. Iovine and Fair also asked a number of other writers to create interpretations of the song, including Brick & Lace, The Writing Camp and Ester Dean. The final English version of "Jai Ho" was dubbed "Jai Ho! " and is sometimes also referred to as the "RF Mix" or "Ron Fair" Remix.
"Don't Hold Your Breath" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from her debut album, Killer Love (2011). The song began as a demo or reference track by American artists Timbaland and Keri Hilson, which leaked online in June 2010. It went through various iterations and versions which leaked ahead of its release in 2011. The final mixed and mastered version of "Don't Hold Your Breath" was released on March 10, 2011, through Interscope Records, preceding its parent album by one week. "Don't Hold Your Breath" was written by a trio of American songwriters: Josh Alexander, Toby Gad, and Billy Steinberg. It is an empowering independence anthem with lyrics that speak of rebuking the advances of an ex-lover, that features a pop and synth-pop production, with electro-pop beats and Eurodance stylings. Production was courtesy of Carl Falk, Rami and Steve Josefsson.
Doll Domination – The Mini Collection is the second extended play (EP) by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was released on May 24, 2009 by Interscope Records. The EP is an extension of the group's second studio album, Doll Domination (2008), including some previously released singles, such as "When I Grow Up", "Whatcha Think About That" and "I Hate This Part", as well as three new songs. The Mini Collection was one of several reissues released throughout 2009 as further promotion for the Doll Domination era, being released in between the European and Australasian legs of the group's Doll Domination Tour. It debuted at number nine on both the Scottish Albums Chart and UK Albums Chart, and would go on to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of at least 100,000 in the UK.
"React" is a song recorded by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls and was released by Access Records on February 7, 2020. It is the group's first song in over a decade, the last being 2009's "Hush Hush; Hush Hush", and is their first independent release since partnering with First Access Entertainment. "React" sees the return of Carmit Bachar who left the group before the release of their last album, Doll Domination (2008), although it does not feature Melody Thornton, who opted out of the reunion citing the desire to continue with her own solo music career. It was written by group member Nicole Scherzinger, along with Georgia Buchanan, Johan Gustafsson, William Simister, and Hannah Wilson. It was produced by Gustafson, Will Simms, and Swedish producer Ivares.